Method and apparatus for intermediate buffer segmentation and reassembly

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for transmitting incoming packet data via a data bus to a memory unit and transmitting outgoing packet data from the memory unit to a communication link via the data bus. The method for transmitting packet data via a data bus to a memory unit comprises the steps of receiving a stream of packet data; storing the received packet data in a buffer unit; and in response to the stored packet data, transmitting a burst of packet data to the memory unit, wherein the size of the burst of packet data depends on the properties of the data bus. The method for transmitting outgoing packet data from a memory unit to a communication link via a data bus comprises the steps of transmitting a burst of packet data from the memory unit to a buffer unit, wherein the size of the burst of packet data depends on the properties of the data bus; storing the packet data in the buffer unit; segmenting the packet data in the buffer; and in response to the transmission step, sending the segmented packet data to the communication link.

1 . A method for transmitting packet data via a data bus to a memory unit, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a stream of packet data;    storing the received packet data in a buffer unit; and    in response to the stored packet data, transmitting a burst of packet data to the memory unit, wherein the size of the burst of packet data depends on the properties of the data bus and the burst of packet data to be transmitted corresponds to the size as allowed by a data bus operation.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising sorting the packet data in the buffer unit.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein in the step of transmitting the burst of packet data comprises the sorted packet data.  
   
   
       4 . A method for transmitting outgoing packet data from a memory unit to a communication link via a data bus, the method comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting a burst of packet data from the memory unit to a buffer unit, wherein the size of the burst of packet data depends on the properties of the data bus and the burst of packet data to be transmitted corresponds to the size as allowed by a data bus operation;    storing the packet data in the buffer unit; and    in response to the transmission step, sending the stored packet data to the communication link.    
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising segmenting the packet data in the buffer unit.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus for transmitting packet data via a data bus ( 10 ) to a memory unit, the apparatus comprising: 
 receiving means for receiving a stream of the packet data;    a buffer unit for storing the received packet data; and    a control unit that in response to the stored packet data initiates the transmission of a burst of packet data from the buffer unit to the memory unit, wherein the size of the burst of packet data depends on the properties of the data bus and the burst of packet data to be transmitted corresponds to the size as allowed by a data bus operation.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the buffer unit comprises sorting means for sorting the packet data arriving interleaved.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the buffer unit is adapted to reassemble the packet data.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus for transmitting outgoing packet data to a communication link, the apparatus comprising: 
 a memory unit providing the outgoing packet data;    a buffer unit for storing the packet data;    a data bus coupling the memory unit to the buffer unit; and    a control unit that in operation accesses the data bus ( 10 ), initiates the transfer of a burst of packet data from the memory unit to the buffer unit, and responsive to the transfer provokes the transmission of the stored packet data from the buffer unit to the communication link, wherein the size of the burst of packet data depends on the properties of the data bus and the burst of packet data to be transmitted corresponds to the size as allowed by a data bus operation.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the control unit comprises a buffer-unit controller for reassembling and/or segmentation of the packet data.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the control unit comprises a memory controller for controlling the access to the memory unit.  
   
   
       12 . A computer system comprising an apparatus according to  claim 6 .  
   
   
       13 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing transmission of packet data via a data bus to a memory unit, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       14 . A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for transmitting packet data via a data bus to a memory unit, said method steps comprising the steps of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       15 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing transmitting outgoing packet data from a memory unit to a communication link via a data bus, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of  claim 4 .  
   
   
       16 . A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for transmitting outgoing packet data from a memory unit to a communication link via a data bus, said method steps comprising the steps of  claim 4 .  
   
   
       17 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing transmission of packet data via a data bus to a memory unit, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of  claim 6 .  
   
   
       18 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing transmission of outgoing packet data to a communication link, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of  claim 9 .  
   
   
       19 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing transmission of packet data via a data bus to a memory unit, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of  claim 2 .  
   
   
       20 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing transmission of packet data via a data bus to a memory unit, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of  claim 10.